The Archives Room at Royal Berkshire Hospital has been renamed in honour of a consultant anaesthetist who set up a museum dedicated to the history of medicine.

Marshall Barr, who died in April last year, worked at the Battle and Royal Berkshire Hospitals (RBH) from 1973 until his retirement in 1994.

Dr Barr was co-founder of the Royal Berkshire Medical Museum and had been Honorary Librarian and Archivist at the Hospital since 1976. He was appointed as regional adviser in anaesthesia from 1987 until 1992, which meant he was responsible for all trainees in the field in the Oxford area.

He served with the Australian army during the Vietnam war as an anaesthetist and was head of the Department of Anaesthetics at the Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in Perth from 1970 until 1972 before moving to Reading.

Dr Barr was well known for his contributions to medical and historical literature and authored several papers and books, including ‘Surgery, Sand and Saigon Tea’, an account of his time in Vietnam. He was passionate about the importance of the proper maintenance of the Hospital Archive within the hospital setting and its availability to researchers and members of the public.

Marshall Barr's daughter Felicity, wife Mary and son James by the Marshall Barr Archives Room at Royal Berkshire Hospital

Dr Barr's widow Mary, son James and daughter Felicity attended a ceremony at the RBH to mark the occasion on Saturday.

James said: "It is a huge honour for the Barr family to have Dad recognised this way. He would have been so proud to see his name above the hospital archives room. As a great student of medical and local history he firmly believed the contribution of the Royal Berkshire Hospital should be treasured and not forgotten.”